Standard planter containers are normally secondary landscaping and aesthetic items used to beautify surroundings by decorating on or around a primary structure independent of the planter containers themselves. In the retail market, with few exceptions, such as a sitting planter, a stand, or stacked planters, planter placement and locations depend on attachment to these fixed structures with a cadre of separate independent devices, both individually or in combinations as brackets, hooks, clips, wires, chains, ropes, twine, macramé, holders, snaps, nails, screws, fittings for pipe and irrigation etc. Unfortunately, the attachment means are often quite visible, unappealing, unreliable and cumbersome. Improved means for attachment are needed.
While some new attachment devices continue to enter the market adding novelty, major changes and directions in developing more commercially viable retail planter container's are seemingly absent. Conventional attachment devices creating and supporting the planter container's use tend to limit their flexibility and growth. Conventional attachment devices are effective for connecting a planter to a support structure or entity. However, a more aesthetically pleasing, reliable and easy to use means of attachment is needed.
The types of conventional planters are myriad. While many are aesthetically pleasing, they suffer several shortcomings. One example of an existing type is decorative planters that can rest on a fixed structure as a floor, ground, ledge, rail or stand. They come in many attractive designs, sizes and colors and can be made of a variety of materials. New designs, sizes, patterns, colors and materials occasionally surface. However, they are limited to use with a planter that rests on a support surface.
Another type of conventional planter is the utilitarian nursery planter—usually thin walled black plastic units of a variety of sizes including trays. The trays feature a variety of shapes, sizes and designs to hold a variety of planter pots. Some hold the plant seedlings themselves for market distribution and planting. This type is typically a non-decorative functional planter for nursery, growing, distribution, transplanting and the like. New innovations are usually limited to improved handling, growth and rooting features prior to distribution. Improved integration and attachment means are needed for decorative use of such planters.
Another type of planter is the decorative hanging baskets. They include many designs and materials created specifically to hang with attachment devices, such as wire, rope or chain. Additionally, a variety of attachment devices previously referred to allows almost all planters to be hung. They come in many attractive designs, sizes and colors and can be made of a variety of materials. They all are very popular and easy to find for purchase. While conventional hanging devices are effective for attaching hanging planters to a support structure, a more aesthetically pleasing, less-conspicuous, reliable and easy to use means of attachment is needed.
Pole planters are yet another type of decorative planter. They are specialized products that are hard to find at retail outlets. They usually include a main structural supporting pole with appendages to support, hold or fix planters in place. Some are meant to look like trees or shrubs providing a heavy and large concentration of flowers or plants in an area. Many pole planters include a metal or plastic support rod driven into the ground by foot force and pressure. They often fall due to planter weight and or wind. A more aesthetically pleasing, less-conspicuous, reliable and easy to use means of releasable attachment is needed.
Plant stands are another type of planter. They often feature a unique appearance by using standard or specialized decorative planter containers. They typically use separate sitting or resting planters. A more aesthetically pleasing, less-conspicuous, reliable and easy to use means of releasable attachment is needed.
Another type of planter is modular planters that stack vertically in columns. They comprise a plurality of planters usually like, similar or identical in color, material, shape and form. Some use a pole passing through the middle of each planter to connect the planters. They usually are modular in design with matching features allowing each to fit into the previous unit stacked below it. They provide a display focal point suitable for featuring variety of plants, and flowers with contrasting colors and foliage in a fixed area. They are not very popular and difficult to find at major retail outlets. A more aesthetically pleasing, less-conspicuous, reliable and easy to use means of releasable attachment is needed.
Another shortcoming of conventional planters is limited locations. Planter locations are limited to available open areas for visibility at low levels or available structural supports or physical entities and the corresponding mounting hardware for attachment at higher levels. Thus, conventional planters as decorative devices may be displayed in limited locations due to the requirements of an appropriate accessible support structure.
Another shortcoming of conventional planters is their ability to blend or integrate into their surroundings or support structures, making their contents seem more like a part of the environment.
Another shortcoming of conventional planters is the inability to easily remove the planter when a conventional attachment device is used for fixing the planter to a structure.
Another shortcoming of conventional planters is limited use on pole structures, such as poles used for lighting, fences, irrigation and decoration. Conventional planters are limited by the available structures and the mounting hardware for attachment of planter containers.
Yet another shortcoming of conventional planters and categories is the lack of adjustable irrigation that can be configured to water the planter as well as the surrounding terrain. Known prior art planters and categories that include irrigation systems are not adjustable and not configurable to surrounding terrain, rendering them of marginal utility for many plants and landscaping uses. A more versatile planting irrigation system is needed.
Conventional irrigation systems lack on aesthetically acceptable permanent high rise sprinkler. Sprinkling from a high point offers greater coverage advantage over fences, hedges, rock structures or mounds, bushes and even small trees. This often reduces the need for additional sprinkler heads, which can lead to a reduction in irrigation lines and valves etc. Ground level irrigation systems often tear into the more delicate flowers and ornamental plants as well as fail to go past this first tear of ornamentals deep into the landscaping beds again requiring more irrigation lines, sprinkler heads and water, all versus water, i.e., in essence “raining” down from above. Higher locations to irrigate from including fence poles offer the same advantages plus utilize unused recourses to improving our environment. There may even be some water savings in properly designed landscape and irrigation systems using the integrated planter systems with irrigation.
Conventional planters lack the ability to introduce, promote and assist in the use of water savings through micro irrigation systems.
Architects require innovative decorative planters for interiors and exteriors of buildings including lobbies of hotels, motels, condominiums, airports and commercial banks and offices. Conventional planters are often overlooked for a more innovative feature.
What is needed is a planter that integrates with a support structure primarily by releasable and penetrable engagement that is sufficient to support the planter without requiring conventional attachment devices, but may use conventional attachment devices to bolster the support. The engaging portions of the planters should be releasably and penetrably received and concealed by the support structure to provide an integrated appearance. The planters and support structures should integrate, making the support structures as planters too. The planters should optionally include adjustable irrigation systems configured to controllably supply water to the planter and/or surrounding terrain. The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.